From the stage, artist Matthew Barney gave a poignant tribute to his longtime friend Horn. “I’ve never asked Roni if it was her, in the clown costume, in her photographic series Clowd and Cloun,” he said. “I guess I didn’t ask because I know that Roni isn’t a clown, but there is a brilliant comedian in there. And a poet, a pragmatist, an intimate, an analyst, a confidante, an artist, and a close friend—brutally funny, and awfully clear.”
Later in the evening, an homage to McQueen came via a surprise spoken-word and roving performance woven in between the room’s long candle-laden tables, courtesy of musician and poet Meshell Ndegeocello.
While it’s early days in the blossoming partnership between Chanel and Dia Art Foundation—Monday night’s festivities marking their second collaboration—it was the end of an era for Jessica Morgan. After 12 years, the director is moving across the pond to take up the reins as the director of Tate in London.
“It’s been an immense pleasure to stay true to our vision and mission,” she said, beaming. “I am most proud of the work that we’ve done with the collection. It has been a real transformation. We inherited an amazing body of work from extraordinary artists collected in depth—but since then, we’ve tripled the collection by bringing in so many incredible voices, many of whom are here tonight.”
Over a dinner of braised short rib, attendees also heard remarks from board chair Nathalie de Gunzburg, who took special care to bid adieu to Morgan. “I have learned so much from you. Not only about this institution, but buildings, programming, conservation, HVAC, and gardening—but also as a woman, you are exceptional.” At her mention of all things construction-related, the crowd tittered, knowing full well the extent to which keeping Dia’s 12 locations and sites up and running and constantly installing ambitious multidisciplinary works remains a Herculean effort.
As a parting note, Morgan proudly revealed that Dia is nearing its $200 million endowment goal. “It’s been an absolute joy to work here,” she said, adding with a laugh: “I’m going to be looking very carefully to see what’s going on, so don’t mess it up.”
